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Published: January 1st 2011
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A shopping district in Beijing.
This part of Beijing is very affluent. Wow. So MUCH has happened in the past few days, that it's hard to imagine four days already flew by since I landed in China! And I can't believe I'll be leaving from Beijing to Hailar in a couple of days. But for sure, I will take these memories of Beijing and make the most of them. Because I've learned
so much. Not only about the culture and customs of Beijing, the dialect of Beijing, and the different foods...I learned to accept humility. I realize I can't do everything that I can in America. I can't express my thoughts when I want to, or even get around the subway lines myself without getting lost. And even though I've been studying Chinese since August, I, for some reason, forget phrases I could easily articulate in Chinese class.
I've seen poverty on a level I've never seen before. People with disabilities making a living in subways, grabbing your arm as they beg for money. One would deem the homeless in America are far better off in comparison. I have always been moved by my anthropology courses that talk about the the rise of poverty and its correlation to the core-periphery theory---but it
wasn't until now that I have seen it...experienced it...
felt it. And I will admit, it's tragic..but it's also amazing, because I feel I have grown the most in these moments, because it is in these moments that I am all about others, not myself.
To sum it up so far, these past four days have been the best of my life!
My friends Jia and Diu Diu are giving me a free tour of Beijing before we head to Hailar (in Inner-Mongolia). I have seen SO MUCH! Unforunately, we couldn't make it to the Great Wall (or Chang Chung), but I still got to experience so much of Imperial China!
On the first full day I was here, me and Jia went shopping in malls around the Beijing shopping district. She said there are about nine malls just in that district, and we were only able to go through two in one day! And I bought some awesome knee-high high-heel boots, to boot! Haha.
The next day, we had famous Beijing-style duck heart and webbed feet, in Beijing's most famous duck restaurant. We also visited Tiananmen Square. It was so windy, and so cold..but amazing nonetheless!
FIrst try of Korean food!
At a Korean restaurant. Squid and rice...yummy! I had the opportunity to give white chrysanthemums (the flower for mourning) to Chairman Mao Zedong, and saw his preserved body! Before, I was
not aware that Tiananmen Square leads to
him.
We also saw the Forbidden City (Gudong). It was magnificent. I can't even put into words how amazed I was when I stepped in the same path as the ancient emperors of China. And Jia was such a great guide. She knew of even the smallest details that many Chinese perhaps were not aware of. We saw the emperor's mother's room, guard rooms, the gardens, tombs...ugh, it was enormous! I think it took about three hours to walk through. And of course, Jia told me some interesting things. All the enterance ways had large beams across the ground, and she said they are higher depending on one's position of power (which is why the beams in Buddha shrines are the highest). She also showed me the hidden room where the emperor locked away wives that could not bear sons. And of course, the room where they made sexy time..haha!
Well...I'm getting really tired, but I only covered two days of Beijing. I'll post more later. I still
Korean restaurant...
...yet they still have sushi! have so much to say!
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janelle
non-member comment
haha!!!
that's so cool!!! :-)